Dr. David B. Adams – Psychological Blog

Psychology of Injury, Pain, Anxiety and Depression

Reviewing Medical Records

A psychologist says that a patient is very angry at his employer, the insurers and the doctor and cannot return to work because of his anger. Many injured workers are angry at a variety of things after injury. Sometimes that anger is well justified. They may be receiving substandard care, the injury was due to carelessness (or demands) of others, and there are (often unnecessary delays) in their receiving care.

So they are angry.

Anger is not a mental disorder, mental disability or mental handicap.

It is an emotion.

However, anger is like joy, sorrow, frustration, impatience and other human emotions.

Admittedly, some angry patients should not be returned to the setting where they were injured if there is risk that they would inflict harm upon others. Therefore, it may be prudent to determine the source of the anger and whether this may represent a danger. If it does represent a potentially dangerous situation, the employer (or rehab nurse) may wish to find an alternate setting for the patient.